*** This information is for reference only and you will need to check with the Leader for details and updates, hotels names will also need to be confirmed ****

DAY 1

On the first day of the trip, meet your Backroads Trip Leader (who will be wearing a Backroads T-shirt) at 9 a.m. in front of the Amsterdam Sloterdijk train station in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We will meet at Sloterdijk's main entrance next to the Starbucks coffee shop; follow signs to Station Hall and Orlyplein upon arrival. Note: This is NOT the Amsterdam Centraal Station, so if you are arriving at Centraal, you'll need to take a 5-minute train ride to Sloterdijk. Please arrive dressed in your biking clothes and bring your luggage and a daypack with your rain gear and anything else you may want for today's ride (your luggage will be transported to our first night's accommodations).

Welkom to Holland! After meeting in Amsterdam we take a quick shuttle to Katwijk aan Zee, a lovely beach town on the North Sea, where your Backroads Trip Leaders fit your bike and give a brief demonstration of biking techniques and safety. Then we set off on our first ride, pedaling through forest and dunes along fietspaden (bicycle paths) en route to Holland's picturesque coastline north of The Hague. The name "Netherlands" means "lowlands," and flat and low it is! Without the well designed network of seawalls, dunes, canals, levees and dikes, about half the country would be underwater. And all those windmills you see also helped drain the soil at one time; some of them are still active today. After a waterfront family lunch the younger set heads off to Scheveningen beach, The Hague's most famous
seaside resort. Continue biking past fertile farmland and coastal dunes before spinning through the attractive residential suburbs outside The Hague.  Lodging: Hotel
Indigo

DAY 2

This morning we shuttle to historic Gouda, a beautiful town and home to Holland's largest market square. Take some time to admire the Stadhuis, an imposing 15th century Gothic structure embellished with turrets, a Renaissance-style staircase and larger-than-life statues.
Then we set out riding on quiet roads and fietspaden past grazing cows and the charming towns that pepper the classically Dutch landscape.
We make our way to our lunch spot in Kinderdijk's World Heritage site, where a cluster of 19 windmills are set on a marshy plain along a 2-mile stretch of dike road. Built in the mid-1700s, the windmills served to drain the Alblasserwaard Polder (a tract of land reclaimed from the sea), and some were still performing that task up until the 1950s. One of the windmills is open to visitors, and it's a fun place to learn about the inner workings of these
remarkable machines.
This afternoon we continue on to Utrecht, a vibrant university town and one of the Netherland's oldest cities, where we settle into the elegant Grand Hotel Karel V.
Originally built as a monastery in the 14th century, the property later was home to noble families and today provides a peaceful setting for travelers like us. Take a spin through the private gardens or head to the hotel's spa.
Meanwhile, kids join a Kids Adventure Leader and head to an indoor trampoline park for a fun afternoon.
Tonight the younger set enjoys a kids-only dinner and games while adults sit down to an excellent meal in the hotel's medieval dining room.

DAY 3

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then set out from Utrecht for a peaceful ride through the Dutch countryside, passing small thatch-roofed houses, bird habitats and 18thcentury mansions. Our route this morning follows a canal to Kastel Duurstede, one of the Netherlands' oldest and most beautiful castles. Surrounding the castle is the small town of Wijk bij Duurstede, where charming cobblestone
streets and classic windmills invite you to linger over a coffee before carrying on toward Amerongen. Before gathering for lunch, there's time to explore the grounds of the town's castle. Constructed in the 17th century, Amerongen Castle features elegant gardens and a historic conservatory.
From here, opt to get a lift in the shuttle or continue riding on dedicated bike paths through the wooded area of Kappse Bossen. Exiting the trees, a lovely ride past idyllic farmland and open fields brings us to the historic town of Zeist before returning to our hotel.
This afternoon kids join our Kids Adventure Leader at a nearby cheese farm where they get the chance to learn about the cheese-making process in a hands-on workshop.
Spend some time relaxing at the hotel before heading into lively Utrecht for dinner on your own.

DAY 4

After breakfast we shuttle to the port town of Vlissingen in the province of Zeeland, the seafood capital of the Netherlands. A quick ferry takes us to Breskens, where we disembark and hop on our bikes. Pedal country roads to the charming city of Sluis, where you can enjoy lunch on your own in one of its many cozy cafés.
Then follow a tree-lined bike path alongside a canal as you bid farewell to Holland. Don't blink, or you may miss the border crossing into Belgium—no formalities here! You'll know you're in Belgium when you spot the colorful triangular-gabled façades that characterize the architecture here.
It's not much farther to romantic Bruges, called the Venice of the North thanks to its many meandering waterways. The entire city center is a World Heritage site, watched over by a towering medieval belfry. We're welcomed at Hotel De Orangerie, whose idyllic location lends itself to a leisurely afternoon by the canal or spent exploring Bruges' charming town center. Later on, kids learn to make some of Belgium's famous—and delectable
—chocolates! Bruges is a mecca for chocolate connoisseurs, and youngsters may want to bite into a Brugsch Swaentje (or Bruges Swan), a symbol of the city.
At tonight's dinner, consider ordering a tall frothy bier. Home to nearly 200 breweries, Belgium has taken beer seriously since the Middle Ages. If you're overwhelmed by the choices, try Zot, which has the distinction of being the only beer brewed in Bruges—it's also regarded as one of Belgium's finest. Proost! (Cheers!) Meanwhile, the Kids Adventure Leader and the younger ones enjoy dinner at favorite local restaurant. Lodging: Hotel De Orangerie

DAY 5

Today we make our way out of Bruges to discover more of this northern part of Belgium, known as Flanders.
Encompassing the cities of Brussels (Belgium's capital), Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp, Flanders is largely autonomous, with its own parliament and government.
Flemish (a variant of Dutch) is the primary language here, while most in southern Wallonia speak French. Pedal through rural countryside to an area known as Flanders Fields, which experienced devastating World War I battles from 1914 to 1918. Hundreds of monuments and cemeteries dot the land to commemorate the thousands of lives lost here. This area was immortalized in the 1915 poem In Flanders Fields, in which Canadian soldier John McCrae describes the profusion of poppies that were growing out of the battle-scarred fields:
In Flanders fields the poppies blow. Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
The poppy is still used as a symbol in World War I remembrance ceremonies. After lunch along the way, hop back on your bike or shuttle back to Bruges. Take time this afternoon to pamper yourself with a massage or stroll through town.
Later, adults are treated to a beer tasting, another famous craft of the Belgians, and kids participate in a fun trivia quiz. Tonight we celebrate our week together with a festive farewell dinner in Bruges. Lodging: Hotel De Orangerie

DAY 6

If you're not ready to bid your bike farewell, enjoy one last spin through Belgian neighborhoods and past canals,  forests and grassy meadows outside the city. Otherwise, sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a dip in the pool.
Back at the hotel, your leaders provide a packed lunch before sending you off to the Bruges train station, where our trip ends. See "Arriving & Departing" for end-of-trip logistics.